Shloka 29

Devanagari script

भीमस्तु रथिनां श्रेष्ठो गदां गृह्ा महाहवे

Transliteration

bhīmas tu rathināṃ śreṣṭho gadāṃ gṛhya mahāhave

Translation

Disse Sañjaya: Bhīma, o mais eminente entre os guerreiros de carro, tomou a sua maça naquela grande batalha—sinal de sua resolução de enfrentar a violência com força disciplinada, a serviço do dever do seu lado em meio à tensão moral da guerra.

Word by Word

भीमःBhima

तुbut/indeed

रथिनाम्of chariot-warriors

श्रेष्ठःthe best

गदाम्mace

गृह्यhaving taken/seizing

महाहवेin the great battle

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīma

gadā (mace)

mahāhava (great battle)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights readiness for righteous action within one’s role: Bhīma’s taking up the mace represents disciplined force employed as a kṣatriya obligation in a war framed by dharma, even when the ethical atmosphere is heavy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya describes Bhīma, renowned among chariot-fighters, grasping his mace on the battlefield—an immediate preparation for close combat and a cue that a fierce engagement is about to unfold.